


Killing Time on Valentines

by SuperFriends (Hokum)



Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: Car Sex, Character Death, F/M, Falling In Love, First Meetings, Online Dating, Oral Sex, Smut, Supernatural Elements, Vaginal Fingering, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-23 14:07:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9660593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hokum/pseuds/SuperFriends
Summary: As Kate and Richie are the epitome of "meant to be"; here a few Valentine's Day related one shots featuring; Awkward Richie, Angry Vanessa, Over Protective Seth, Sexy Kate and Exasperated Uncle Eddie. Enjoy!





	1. I May Be Crazy, Don't Mind Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Promt: First Valentines + Nervous Richie + Uncle Eddie
> 
> Whilst Richie has meltdown over his first Valentines Day with Kate, Uncle Eddie tries to infuse some confidence in his youngest nephew. Seth just wants to sit on the couch and eat chips in peace.

“I’m cancelling; I can’t do this.”

Uncle Eddie sighed heavily for seemed like the millionth time that evening, never in all the years he’d been alive had a simple Valentines Day date caused this much emotional anguish. He’d watched his youngest nephew flit about like a cat on a hot tin roof all day, cartwheeling from being excited, to nervous and now finally to disappear. It was exhausting just watching Richie and Eddie had spent all day trying to boost the kids rapidly waning confidence.

“Richard; we've been over this. You’re not cancelling.”

Richie looked over at him, his face pale and full of anguish, as Eddie made himself a cup of coffee. 

“But - “

“No buts. You asked her out and she said yes. She wouldn't have agreed to go out with you if she didn't want to.”

“I know but -“

“Stop. You just need a bit of confidence in yourself,” Eddie said as he patted Richie warmly on the shoulder, “You’re kind, you’re smart, you’re sweet, you love your family. All good things, so don't be so hard on yourself.”

Richie nodded vaguely, almost like he wasn't sure all those statements applied to him, and Eddie once again silently cursed Ray Gecko and what he’d done to those two boys. He’d spent years trying to get the pair of them back on track; Seth was mainly ok. He had a big enough ego that simply wouldn't allow his self confidence to falter but Richie still needed a lot of coddling. In fact Richie probably would have stopped freaking out at that moment, if only it hadn't been for Seth and his big mouth.

“Nice and sweet?” Who the fuck are you talking about Eddie? You must be in the wrong house if you think Richie is nice and sweet.”

Seth had been sprawled out on the couch all day; alternating between eating copious amounts of chips and watching terrible 1980’s horror films. Apparently sleeping with your on and off girlfriends best friend is now a dumpable offence so he’ll be spending his Valentines Day evening helping Uncle Eddie do his tax returns. Neither of them were thrilled with this arrangement. He’d been half way through Driller Killer when Richie decided to have a meltdown over taking some chick out for dinner.

“No cussing in my house boy. And he’s darn sight nicer then you’ll ever be so can it.”

Seth just rolled his eyes and turned back to the TV, leaving Eddie to try and bolster some more confidence into Richie. He can tell its already going to be an uphill struggle by the look on Richie’s face. He’d told Seth time and time again not to tease his brother about this but the stupid kid just wouldn't listen. The brothers bicker all the time but Eddie can usually count on them not to take it too far with each other. Richie didn't have a comeback for Seth, which he so often does, which means the gears in that big old brain of his are already kicking into overdrive.

“All right; out with it. What’s going on up there?” Eddie asks as he taps the side of Richie’s head.

Richie is silent for a few more minutes and when he does speak he looks determinedly at the floor.

“Its just… what if I say something weird or do the wrong thing. What if she doesn't want to talk me ever again?”

Great. He knew something like this was coming. There’s only so much Eddie can do when Richie gets like this but he’ll get the kid out on this date even if he has to drag him there himself.

“Now you listen to me Richie, ok? I know you’re nervous but all you need to do is just be yourself.”

“But I don’t know how to be anybody else.”

“Thats not what…look come here in here for a minute,” Eddie says as he pulls Richie into the kitchen so Seth can’t hear them, “You wanna know why Seth is always with one girl after another? It’s because he’s always changing himself to fit what he thinks the girl will like. You’ve always been yourself haven't you? Even when people used to tease you.”

Richie frowns; being himself hasn't exactly gone very well for him in the past. The words “crazy” and “weird” often end up being used. He doesn't want to mess this up though; it had taken him long enough to muster up the courage to ask Kate out. She was such a sweet and kindhearted person that he hadn't even thought he'd have a chance with her. They'd been friends for a couple of months before Richie had plucked up the nerve to ask her out and, much to his surprise, Kate had more than happily accepted. Now he had to actually go through with it, on Valentines Day no less, and his nerves were already starting to take over. He just wasn't good at this sort of stuff; not like Seth was. Although Seth was spending the evening trying to eat his body weight in fried goods so maybe he didn't have all the answers either.

“So like I said before,” Eddie says as he pats him on the shoulder, “Just be yourself and you’ll be fine.”

 

“But don't be yourself too much Richard,” Seth calls out from the sofa, “Girls don't wanna hear about your crackpot end of the world theories.”

“It’s not “crackpot theories” Seth, its scientific fact!” Richie snaps as he strides over to wear Seth is laying, “You won’t be cracking jokes when global warming incinerates all the trees and we all die from lack of oxygen!”

“Global warming?! Yeah, open with that,” Seth says sarcastically as he props himself up to look at Richie, “I’m sure Kate will be all over you once you tell her she's going to suffocate ‘cus a bunch trees got chopped down.”

Oh here we go Eddie thinks just as Richie starts yelling.

“Just because you’re too self involved to see whats going on around you doesn't mean the rest of us are Seth!”

Seth just rolls his eyes and stuffs more chips in his mouth. Eddie doesn't normally get involved when they bicker back and forth like this but he will give them both a slap if either of them take it to the next level.

“She’s not even gonna have time to listen to you anyway,” Seth says through a mouthful of food, “She’ll be too busy reading that easy you wrote in the card you got her.”

Richie flushes bright red as he grabs the remote and switches the TV off. Eddie winces inwardly; the last time they got into a scrap like this Richie set the TV audio to Spanish and wouldn't turn it back until Seth apologised. They'd spent two weeks watching everything with subtitles until Seth caved in and said sorry about whatever stupid thing they were fighting over.

“Hey, I was watching that!”

“You read my card?!”

He’s holding the remote high out of Seth’s reach but Seth is too lazy to get up and reach for it so he just stares back at his brother.

“Some of it; it was very long and you’ve got tiny handwriting,” Seth says grumpily as he goes back to his chips, “Anyway; you’re taking this way too seriously.”

“Well what would you write?”

“Dear whoever, you look hot, wanna bang?”

“You’re disgusting.”

“Really? Well how many times have gotten laid this year Richard? Oh yeah thats right; zero.”

“Oh.. shut up!” Richie snaps as he hurls the remote at Seth’s face, who catches it just before it hits his nose, and stomps off to his room, slamming the door loudly.

Eddie waits until Richie had left the room before he smacks Seth upside the head with a rolled up newspaper.

“Hey!” Seth yells as his bag of chips go tumbling to the floor, “What was that for?!”

“I told you not to tease him! “ Eddie snaps as he hits Seth again, “And pick up those god damn chips!”

Seth grumbles to himself but he at least makes some effort to pick up the fallen food and dump it back in the packet. He’s starting to feel a little bit guilty about teasing Richie; its just so easy to wind his brother up. It’s not like he really means any of it, its just what they do. Richie just needs to be a little less sensitive about these things. 

“I don’t recall you being this nice to me when I first took a girl out on Valentines Day.”

Seth’s got the TV back on now and is once again stretched out in his usual spot.

“Well you’ve got your Pa’s silver tongue haven't you?” Eddie says as he sits himself down in his armchair and gets out his reading glasses, “I’m sure I can find some other areas of your personality that you need assistance with. Now get up off your ass and say sorry to him.”

“What? No!”

Eddie pinches the bridge of his nose; he really needs to get on with these taxes and Seth is not helping matters by being an annoying little shit.

“Seth, you know your brothers not got it easy when it comes to talking to people. Don't ruin this for him. I don’t want him turning into Boo Radly because you keep talking shit to him.”

“Ughhh fine. I’ll go make nice but you’re buying me take out later. If I'm going to be stuck with you all night I’ll need some sustenance.”

He slopes off in the direction of Richie’s bedroom; trailing chip crumbs all over Eddie’s freshly vacuumed floor. Finally a bit of peace. He loves those boys like they're his own but it would be nice if he could just have five minutes to himself every now and then. It’s probably going to be a pointless exercise getting Seth to help him with the taxes for the shop but the kid needs to learn he can’t leave the brainy stuff to Richie all the time. Seth has been gone a long time and theres no yelling which can only be a good thing. He knows that Seth wouldn't do anything deliberate to upset his brother; there’s nobody on this earth that has Richie’s back more than Seth. Eddie mulls over his receipts for a while until Seth finally returns and flops dramatically back down on the couch. Within in seconds he’s snatched up the remote again and is back to watching Driller killer. 

“Well?”

“Well what?” There’s a fantastically cheesy death scene coming up and Seth doesn't want to miss it, even if he has seen this movie over a dozen times. 

“Did you apologise? The last thing he needs right now is you knocking his confidence.”

Seth lets out a frustrated groan; Eddie’s scolding has made him miss the overly dramatic death scene. He’s not that much of an asshole that he would let Richie think he wasn't good enough to take some girl out. He’s just spent the last twenty minutes trying to get that through Richie’s stupid head. Plus Kate is obviously really into him; anyone with pair of eyes can see that. They're going to turn into one of those annoying couples that eye fuck each other over a shared milkshake.

“Oh my god; would you calm down? He’s fine.”

“Define fine for me?”

Seth is spared answering by Richie returning looking very handsome in his freshly laundered suit. He still looks a little nervous but whatever Seth has said to him seems to have given him a bit more belief in himself.

“Come here, cant let you go out on your big date with your tie all crooked.”

“Now remember what I told you?” Eddie says as he sorts out Richie’s tie, “You be polite, you be respectful and whatever “tips” your brother gave you just do the opposite. I didn’t bring you up to be a sleaze ball with the ladies. There you go, perfect.”

“You know I can hear you right?” Seth calls over from the couch, “ And I gave him so good advice; not you’re nineteen fifties old man crap!”

“Oh yeah? Well maybe that’s why your gonna spending the night alone on the couch. Don't listen to him Richie.”

Richie just nods mutely as he gathers up his car keys and fumbles with the front door. 

“Hey, come here a minute. If she doesn't like you for who you are then she's not the right girl for you ok? No shame in that. Just be yourself and you'll be fine.

“Yeah… ok. Thanks.”

He gets a weak smile which is the best he could have hoped for.

“No problem kiddo. Now go on, cant keep the poor girl waiting. And remember I want to meet her; you bring her by before you take her home.”

He bundles Richie out of the door before his nephew can flake out again.

“What she like, this girl?” Eddie asks as he watches Richie drive off. She must be pretty special, firstly for Richie to have the courage to ask her out and secondly for all the fuss its caused them this evening. 

“Short.”

“Don’t be an ass Seth. I don't want some broad taking advantage of him.”

“All right; keep your hair on! Do you really think that I would let him go out with a lunatic? Trust me it’s impossible not to like her; she’s like one of those happy little elves or something. Now can we get back to my life crisis?’

“Seth; you slept with the chicks best friend. You don't deserve any sympathy. Do you think I should have had the talk with him before he left? You know “stay safe” and all that.”

“Please,” Seth snorts, “She’s a Preachers daughter. The back seat of your car is safe from impunity, for now at least. The most action Richie is going to get is some very intense hand holding.”

“Ok, good. Just as long as she isn't trying to trick him or anything. If you say she’s ok then I guess she must be.”

“She’s a normal human being if thats what you mean. well she cant be that normal if she’s willing to go out with Richie.”

“All right; thats enough out of you. Now are you going to help me with these tax returns or not?”

“Ughh,” Seth groans over dramatically, “It’s Valentines Day night and I'm stuck here with you!”

Eddie doesn't even bother to look up as he starts sorting out his paper work.

“Well, if it’s any comfort I much prefer it when you’re brothers here instead of you. At least he can add up.”

“Well then Richie can do them for you later. It’s numbers; you know how much he loves Math.”

“You watch it with that sass mouth,” Eddie warns as seth laughs at his own joke.

“See, I knew he was your favourite!”

“If anything were to be my favourite it would be the TV; it doesn't give me half as much grief as you two punks.”

They barely make a dent in Eddie’s taxes before Eddie gets fed up with Seth’s complaining and digs out his old VHS copy of “Nail Gun Massacre”. They watch that, much to Seth’s delight, and are half way through “Don't Go in the House” when a car pulls into the driveway. Eddie looks at his watch; its almost eleven which must mean the kids must be back.

“Behave,” He says to Seth who is currently picking chips crumbs off his t shirt, “And clean yourself up; I don't want the girl thinking I raised a slob.”

“Hey, Eddie? Can I have a beer?” Seth asks as he brushes the chip crumbs onto the floor.

“Are you twenty one?”

“No.”

“Well there’s your answer then,” Eddie says as he goes to the kitchen and puts a pot of coffee on. he can hear chattering in the hall which means Richie did right by his promise and brought the girl home. The kitchen door swings open as Richie walks through, closely followed by a small pretty girl with long brown hair. Seth was right; she’s like sunshine incarnate.

“Umm Eddie; this is Kate. Kate this is my Uncle Eddie.” 

“So this is the girl I’ve been hearing so much about,” Eddie says as he shakes Kate warmly by the hand, “Pleasure to finally meet you Kate. Edward Cruickshank but you can call me Eddie.”

“Hi! Its nice to meet you, Eddie talks about you a lot.”

“All good stuff I hope?”

“Oh yeah, I’ve been very impressed,” Kate says as she sits down at the kitchen counter, “Hi Seth, didn't see you over there.”

“Hey midget,” Seth calls over from his position on the couch.

“You’ll have to excuse Richie’s brother. All though he should know better than to speak with his mouthful.”

Richie is still hovering nervously so Eddie shoves some coffee mugs in his hands and tells him to make himself useful. He and Kate start shooting the breeze about family, what she's doing at school, what her favourite film is.

“So; did you have a nice time? My boy here better have behaved like a gentleman.’ 

Kate smiles widely just as Richie hands her a cup of coffee. Eddie doesn't know what in the world the boy was so nervous about because judging by the look on Kate’s face she’s obviously nuts about him. 

“Yeah, we went out to dinner and then to the planetarium to see the star show. Richie was on his best behaviour.” 

“Good, I’m glad to hear that. Well its getting late; I don't want you getting in trouble with your dad. It was very nice to meet you Kate, you stop by here anytime you like.”

Thanks, it was nice to meet you too,” Kate says just before she calls over to Seth, “Bye Seth.”

“Bumpf” Seth says through a mouthful of chips.

Eddie watches them through the window until the car is safely round the corner and out of sight. He’s already mentally adding Kate into family dinner night. She has a good heart, he could tell that right off the bat, and more importantly she obviously cares deeply for Richie which was his main concern. 

“She seems sweet,” Eddie says to Seth as he heads back into the living room.”

“See; I told you she was normal.” 

Eddie rolls his eyes and settles in to watch the remainder of the film.

It’s over an hour later when Richie returns home. Seth had given up on the night and slopped off to bed but Eddie wanted to wait up for Richie. There’s a smudge of lipgloss on Richie’s chin and he looks a little flushed which certainly puts paid to Seth’s hand holding theory.

“So… that’s the girl huh?” 

“Yeah,” Richie says, “That’s the girl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Driller Killer, Nail Gun Masacre and Don't Go In The House are all real films and are all as terrible as they sound. Go and watch them immediately!
> 
> Title is from Ed Sheeran - Shape of You


	2. Bark at the Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Promt: Werewolf + car sex
> 
> Kate didn't really envision that her supposedly normal Valentines Day would involve having sex on the backseat of a car and being attacked by a werewolf. Yet here she is, with a gun in her hand and her underwear still laying on the backseat.

This was the year Kate thought; this was the year that her Valentine’s Day wasn't going to be completely ruined by nefarious creatures of the night looking to take over the world or being attacked by something creepy. So far she off to a good start; Richie had seemed very interested in helping her get ready which resulted in Kate having to shoo him out of the room so she could put on the very expensive lingerie she’d brought without him seeing. It would be a nice little treat for him once they gotten back to the hotel room they'd booked. After she’d fluffed up her hair a little bit and slipped into the yellow sundress she had picked out she was all set. Kate was determined that this year was going to be fun; Richie was going to take her to a diner and then on to a dance hall. They were going to have a nice, normal Valentines day and not like last year when they battled a hoard of zombies, the year before that it was a witch with an axe to grind and the year before that Kate had spent two weeks stinking to high haven after a demon with a very potent mucus spray had attacked her. She had had to burn all her clothes and temporarily live in the RV because nobody could cope with the smell. Nope, this year was going to be monster free.

“Kate? You ready? Wow!”

Richie had returned; his deep blue eyes going wide when he saw her all dressed up. 

“You like?” Kate asks as she gives him a little twirl.

“Yeah.. I mean you always… You look beautiful.” He says softly as he kisses the top of her forehead. 

“Shall we?” He asks as he offers her his arm, heels were not yet her forte, and they head out into the night.

They had danced all night until Kate was pretty sure that her feet were going to drop off. She had managed to remain in her heels all night which was a record for her; normally she got fed up and threw them off but the height difference between her and Richie was so great that she would have spent most of the night dancing with his navel. They were both pretty nifty on the dance floor and Kate had enjoyed being able to attempt some more risky moves, safe in the knowledge that Richie’s Culebra strength and stamina meant that she wasn't about to get dropped on her ass. Somewhat unfairly, Richie hadn't even broken a sweat whilst Kate’s face was flushed and her hair had taken on a slightly wild look.

Kate let out a loud giggle as Richie wrapped his arms around her waist and carried her back over to the car; she’d a few Bourbons and it was making her giddy. Once they’d reached the car Richie set her back down and pressed her up against the side of the car. There eyes locked together for a few moments before Richie leaned down and started kissing her; his tongue flicking lightly across her lips. The dancing towards the end of the night had become very provocative and Kate was not at all surprised when Richie’s hand found its way underneath her dress and started trailing along the seam of her underwear. She kissed him back harder as he rubbed the pads of his fingers against the crotch of her panties. They were going to get arrested for public indecency at this rate so, even though it pained her to do so, Kate pulled away.

“Not here baby; there’s people.”

“You sure?” Richie whispered playfully as he slipped his hand inside her underwear and stroked at the soft wetness there, “I might just eat you out right here.”

“You’re a bad man Mr Gecko.”

Kate's breath came out in soft pants as he slid a finger inside of her and slowly worked it in and out. His erection was digging into her thigh so she bent her knee, allowing him room to grind against her. Richie grunted and pushed her tighter against the car. A chorus of shouting brought them both back to there senses; some of the drunker patrons were staging an impromptu boxing match on the other side of the parking lot which they took as there cue to leave. Once they had hastily rearranging their clothes they headed off down the highway on route to the hotel. At least they could still have one night of passion without being interrupted. It still made her cringe thinking about the time when Seth had barged into their room, without knocking, whilst she’d been flat on her back with Richie’s head between her legs. 

They’d barely made it three miles down the road, most of which Richie had spent with one hand on the wheel and the other down the front of Kate’s dress, before she was begging him to pull over. Five minutes later they had pulled off a short dirt track road and into what looked like a small forest. If Kate hadn't been so horny she would have marvelled at how pretty it was and how the full moon hung so high in the sky above them. They could look at that later; right now all she cared about was removing as many of Richie’s clothes as possible. He’d barely turned the engine off before Kate had climbed into his lap and started kissing him with wanton abandonment. As great as it was to finally get their hands on each other, they were squashed so tightly together that the steering wheel was digging into Kate’s back and there wasn't enough room for Richie to get his hand all the way inside her underwear. After Kate had accidentally elbowed the horn and sent an owl hooting indignantly from its tree they decided to switch positions.

“Backseat?”

Kate nodded and they both clambered over the car seats; there was already a lot more room in the back once Richie had pushed the front seat forward. Kate settled back down in his lap and pulled him forward into a deep kiss; he tasted like cigarettes and whiskey. Richie’s hands just seemed to be everywhere as they caressed her body, sliding over her shoulders, squeezing her rear. It took her a minute to realise that her dress was hanging down around her middle and her bra undone.

“Smooth,” she chuckled as wriggled out of her bra, threw it on the floor and her nipples tightened in the cool night air. His hands cupped her breasts, first lightly and then more firmly, causing Kate to moan softly. Richie gave her a wicked grin as he leaned forward and started to kiss the smooth plane between her breasts. His tongue has hot against her skin and Kate scratched her nails across his scalp in pleasure. Her groin was aching and it was a relief to see Richie’s hand disappear underneath her dress again. It was slightly disappointing to know that he wasn't getting the full effect of her very expensive lingerie but she soon forgot that once his fingers traced over her outer lips, running them gently back and forth before he slowly slid one of his lovely long fingers inside her. Kate bit down hard on her lip as Richie slowly traced the pad of his thumb around her clit as he moved his finger in and out. A second finger followed shortly after and then, finally, a third which caused Kate to moan out loud. He was barely moving his hand but Kate felt she was going to burst from the pleasure of it. 

“Richie… just there…” She whispered just as the wind rustled through the trees and something creaked outside the car window. Neither Kate or Richie paid any attention to it. As far as they were concerned it was just the two of them out here. Richie was moving his fingers more forcefully now causing Kate to moan softly, her head dropping to his shoulder as she ground her hips down onto him. He still wasn’t moving fast enough though so Kate slid her hand down to his crotch and massaged the already large bulge there earning her a very satisfied moan from Richie. She moved her hand again, harder this time, which caused Richie’s hips to jerk upwards. It must be getting uncomfortable for him so she reluctantly tapped his hand by the wrist to signal him to stop.

“I think you’d feel better if you took those off.”

Richie just nodded and eased her off his lap so could hastily pull his trousers down whilst Kate removed her panties. She had been about to pull her dress off as well but Richie scooped her back up and deposited her back into his lap. His erection was already straining against his stomach, his eyes dark and dangerous as he stares back at her. She wrapped her hot little hand around him and began to stroke him firmly. Kate’s hands were on the small side and Richie was rather big to begin with so she would usually use two hands but, there wasn't enough time or room for that.

“You like that?”

Their version of dirty talk was still in its infancy; mainly they just asked each other what felt good and what didn’t. She was obviously pleasing Richie, if the the noises he was making were any indication to go by. She leant forward and pressed little kisses to his jawline, her free hand running through his hair. 

“Kate… ahhh… feels good…” Richie mumbled. He’s got his eyes closed and his leant back on the head rest. 

She’s just beginning to build up a good rhythm when Richie suddenly sits bolt upright, almost knocking her off his lap, and stares intently out of the car window. He’s still as a statue as looks out into the darkness; his ears pricked for any type of movement. 

“Did you hear something?”

“What? No; baby there’s nothing out there.”

To make her point she reaches between them, takes him in her hand again and strokes him firmly. This defiantly gets Richie’s full attention back to her; Kate lets out a gasp of excitment as Richie lifts her up and pushes her legs father apart . He rubs himself over her, circling her clit and smirking wickedly at her. Kate shivered in anticipation but Richie did little more then push the tip of himself inside her before removing it and continuing his ministrations. He was teasing her. Well two could play that game. She gave him a pretty smile before she leant forward and nibbled the top of his left ear. If she could have reached the back of his knee she would have; that was Richie’s most sensitive spot but his earlobes were a close second. Richie let out a soft “ohh” as Kate licked the shell of his earlobe; allowing her time to push his hands away and lower herself fully down onto him. Richie seemed to come back to life half way through and he held her hips to make it easier on her.

“Cheap shot,” he muttered as he leant forward and rolled her nipple between his finger and thumb.

Kate shrugged.

“Seems I learnt - ahhh,”

Richie had wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled flush to him; effectively pushing himself deeper inside her. He really wasn't playing fair tonight. Then he started moving and Kate quickly lost track of why she was annoyed in the first place. She gripped his shoulders for leverage. They find a their rhythm quickly enough and Kate grins down at him as she matches his pace; she likes going on top. Heat is beginning to pool in her belly and Kate cries out as Richie lifts her almost fully off himself and then pulls her back down. Its almost too much for Kate and she lets out a loud cry of pleasure. 

“Richie…,” Kate moans as she wraps her arms around his neck and rolls her hips, “Richie… baby… harder… just there.”

The car windows have seemed up and Kate finds herself having to brace herself against the car room as she rides Richie’s lap. She’s so close.

“Baby don't stop!”

Unfortunately, thats exactly what Richie does do as he pulls away again, his eyes glued to the window.

“I thought I heard something”

“You did; you heard me begging you not to stop.”

Kate starts rolling her hips again, theres nothing out there apart from a bunch of trees, and it doesn't take Richie long to forget about whatever it was he heard as he grips her hard by the hips.  
Kate’s head thumped against the roof of the car more than once but she barely gave it a second thought; nothing on earth would get her to tell Richie to stop now. His hand is under her dress again, he finds her clit with ease and rubs it gently to bring her over the edge. Her hips buck against his and she calls out his name as her orgasm pulsed like a warm tidal wave throughout her body. Her eyes slide shut as Richie holds her by the thighs and thrusts into her a few more times, before his own orgasm hits him and he groans into her ear. They lay slumped together for a while, panting in unison and there foreheads resting against each other, kissing softly.

After a while they both become sticky and uncomfortable so they clean themselves up and lay side by side, snuggled up together on the back seat. Richie has already pulled his trousers back on and but Kate cant be bothered to pull her dress back on properly. She’ll go hunting for her bra and underwear later; she likes feeling the warmth of his skin against her. Richie hands her a cigarette he’s pulled out from somewhere and she takes a long drag. The car smells like sex and smoke; they'll have to take care of that before they return the car to Seth. As she smokes; Richie’s hands start to wander and she looks up at him in a bemused sort of way.

“You wanna go again?”

He shrugs as he pusses his glasses back up his nose.

“I told you before; I’m gonna eat you out.”

He’s already pushing her knees apart so Kate scoots backwards so she’s sat with her back against the car door. Her dress has once again rolled up around her middle but she doesn't she the point of correcting it. Of course he just has to tease her again so he starts by kissing all along her inner thigh, then across her bikini line. Once he starts moving lower down and Kate lets out a shiver of anticipation as he lightly kisses her plump outer lips. His tongue has barely brushed against her inner lips when -

“AGGHHHHHH!!!!!”

Kate lets out a loud scream as a huge clawed hand smashed its way through the window behind her head, grabs her by the hair and starts trying to pull her out of the window. Richie, who had been otherwise engaged, tries to sit up but Kate is thrashing about so much trying to get free he ends being kicked in the face by one of her flailing feet. Whatever is out there lets out a loud snarling sound and starts pulling harder at her hair. Kate tries to scream again but the weight of Richie on top of her as he tried to pull her free and being trapped against the door to the car is crushing her. Whatever was out there wasn’t letting go anytime soon and Kate yelped in paid as a huge chunk of her hair was ripped out. Richie was desperately trying to pry whatever it was off her put the car was so cramped it was difficult for him to do anything other than stop Kate from being dragged through the window. A horrible snarling filled her ears and vile hot breath brushed against her cheek and Kate couldn’t stop the terrified scream as a flash of fangs caught her eye. Blood splattered all down her neck and it took Kate a second to realise that it wasn't her blood; it was Richie’s. He’d shoved his hand into the creatures mouth before it could take a bite out Kate’s neck. The grip on her hair loosened as the thing now tried to pull Richie out of the window by his hand. Without even thinking Kate snatched up her heeled shoe from the car floor and slammed it down on the beasts snout. It howled with pain as it finally let go of the pair of them. Kate barely had time to think before Richie dragged her out of harms way to the opposite end of the seat by her legs. 

 

“Are you ok? Kate? Talk to me!” Richie asked as he frantically checking her head for cuts and scratches but all Kate could look at was the blood pouring out of his hand. There was even a large tooth lodged in there. She quickly ripped a long strip off the bottom of her dress and wrapped it around the wound. It would have to do before his Culebra healing powers kicked in. The silence between them was almost deafening as they huddled together on the back seat. It had gone very quiet outside.

“Yeah I think so; what was that thing?!”

Before Richie could answer whatever was out there rammed into the side of the car and sent them both sprawling all over the back seat. They had barely drawn breath when they were hit again with such force that the car almost tipped over. Richie pulled Kate towards him and sheltered her body with his as the roof of the car almost caved in. A loud howling noise echoed all around them; defiantly not another snake. Richie was much stronger than the average human but Kate doubted that even he could tip a car over. The howling stopped and they were once again plunged into silence; the only noise was their frantic breathing.

“Maybe its gone,” Kate whispered after what seemed like ages.

“Maybe,” Richie whispered back as he tried to peer through the shattered window, “I’ll go check.”

“What?! Richard you are not leaving this car with that thing out there!”

“What if it attacks someone? Like a kid or something.”

Kate bit her lip; Richie was right. If she found out later that whatever was out there had hurt someone when they could have stopped it she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

“Ok but I’m going with you!”

Kate-

“I’m not some helpless woman Richie! Either I’m coming with you or neither of us are going.”

“Kate, I know better than most that you can hold your own. I just meant it might be a good idea for you to put your dress back on first.”

Kate looked down to find that her dress was just bunched up around her waist and not exactly covering much.

“Oh. Ok.”

Once Kate had made herself a bit more presentable they formed a plan which basically consisted of Richie exiting the car fist and Kate following with the gun they kept in the glove compartment. It wasn't exactly a brilliant plan but it was the best they could do in that given moment. Richie opened the car door slowly and carefully and looked out into the darkness. The cost seemed to be clear so Richie turned back towards Kate.

“Ok; wait until I say it’s safe and then -“

The face of a huge, hairy snarling beast suddenly lunges towards the door, clamps its jaws around Richie’s arm and starts to drag him out of the car. Kate lunges towards him but it all happened so fast that she wasn't quick enough and Richie’s hand slips through he fingers as his body was pulled completely out of the car.

"Get the gun!" He yells just before he kicked the door shut.

Kate scrambled over the front seats and clawed the glovebox open. Her hands were shaking so badly it took her a while to open it; there were loud snarling sounds coming from outside and what sounded like bodies slamming into the ground. She needed to get out there fast. Thankfully the gun was already loaded and Kate practical threw herself out of the car door. It was so dark outside she could barely see so she put the car headlights on to give herself some light. There’s a horrible growing sound ahead of her and then Richie’s cries of pain are ringing in her ears. Without even thinking about her own safety; Kate sets off running towards the noise.

“RICHIE!!!”

She’s barely made it a few feet when Richie and what looks like massive animal crash out of the trees in front of her. The beast is massive and it easily pins Richie to the floor and starts tearing its claws up and down his back. It’s Richie’s cries of pain that bring Kate back to her senses as she lets off a shot at it. The bullet goes wide and the thing doesn't even glance up at her but it does give Richie a chance to roll out from underneath it. The tangy scent of blood fills the air as Richie’s blood splatters across the forest floor. The thing paws at him again; this time trying to take a bite out of Richie’s neck and he only just manages to slam his fist against its snout. It yelps in pain as it goes sprawling backwards but its quickly back up on its feet again as it tips its huge head back and lets out a loud howl. Kate needs a diversion and fast. 

“Hey, hey you!” Kate shouts as she snatches up a rock and throws it at it. She misses and only ends up narrowly avoiding hitting Richie in the head instead. Her aim is better the second time as she hits the beast squarely in the head. It turns towards her, it’s fangs dripping with blood and saliva, and snarls. Uh oh. Richie is still struggling to sit up as the thing advances towards her and bares its teeth. Kate takes aim and fires; this time she manages to hit in the shoulder but it doesn't seem to stop it charging toward her. Its almost on top of her when Kate fires again; she doesn't miss this time. The bullet hits the creature right between the eyes and its lets out a surprised grunt before it’s body crumples like a concertina and drops down at her feet. Kate keeps the gun trained on it as she kicks it hard with her foot. It doesn't move. Once she’s sure its not moving anymore Kate sprints over to where Richie is still laying on the floor.

“Richie?! Baby are you ok?”

There’s blood everywhere and his suit is in tatters but thankfully the claw marks are already starting to heal up; although Kate notices its much more slowly then they normally would.  

“Owww,” Richie moans as Kate helps him up into a sitting position. 

“Are you ok?”

“I think so. Did you shoot it?”

“Yeah. I think its dead.”

She helps Richie up and they stumble over to where the body of the beast is still laying. Kate gets a slight shock as she looks down at the would be corpse; the bullet wound has already closed and bloody wound where Richie had bitten it is practically healed up. Surely this thing should be dead already? A head shot is pretty lethal. They watch, transfixed, as the claws retract, the hair recedes and the body of the beast slowly transforms back into the body of a man. Kate didn't need the tap on the arm or Richie’s excited exclamation to tell her that it was a werewolf. The man lets out a loud groan as he rolls onto his back and stares dazedly up at them.

“Ohh me head… which one of you idiots shot me?!”

The werewolf looks to be in his early forties and there’s some sort of accent there that Kate can’t quite place. He’s also completely naked. He makes it to a standing position quicker than Kate would have liked and Richie snarls at him, his fangs are still out, as Kate trains the gun directly at the mans forehead. None of this seems to bother the man as he stands and stares at them, his hands resting on his hips, and takes in the wreckage of the car behind them.

“Jeez; sorry about you’re car mate. Don't know my own strength!”

He lets out a humorous laugh which catches Richie and Kate off guard. They’re not used to other supernatural beings being so outwardly friendly; especially not after they've been shot at point blank range in the head. The stranger catches sight of Richie’s fangs and his eyes go wide with what can only be described as excitement.

“Wow mate; are you a Culebra?! Well how about that, I didn't think I’d ever get to see one of guys in the flesh! All we’ve got back home is regular vampires. You know; Count Dracula wannabes. You Xibalban bros are cool.”

Richie looks awkwardly at Kate who shrugs. They'd normally be digging a hole to burry this create in by now; not standing around having a friendly chat with it. But if he knows about Culebra then grave digging might still be on the agenda.

“How do you know about Culebra’s?”

Richie’s fangs have retracted leaving him looking human once again. The last thing they need is a turf war with a bunch of werewolves.

“You’re in that book… whats it called… wait don't tell me…it’ll come to me… The Order of Days! I like to keep up to date you see; gotta know whats out there. Us supers need to start sticking together.”

Richie’s eyes light up at the mention of the book. 

“You have a copy of the Order of Days?! I’ve been looking for that for ages!”

“I’m only down the road aways mate if you and the misses wanna swing by and take a look sometime,” he turns towards Kate apologetically, “Sorry Chick, didn't mean to get all grabby with you before. The wolf gets a little frisky sometimes.”

“Thats ok; no harm done,” Kate says as she stares determinedly at his forehead, “Whats you’re name anyway?”

“Anton, pack leader of the Wellington Werewolf Pack,” Anton proclaims proudly as he draws himself up a little straighter and puffs his chest out a little. He's still very naked and shows no sign of even attempting to find some clothes to put on. Kate keeps her eyes glued to his face.

“Wellington? That’s in New Zealand isn't it? You’re a little far from home aren't you?”

Theres still an edge of excitement to Richie’s voice; Kate’s pretty sure they're going to be booking a trip to New Zealand in the near future. At least she’ll be able to get a nice tan.

“I’m on me holidays. Got a cousin that lives down near the border so I thought I’d come and see the sights for a bit.”

Richie starts jabbering away to Anton; they're halfway through discussing the blood moon cycle when Kate starts to wonder if they’re going to end up with a new house guest. She’s also kind of pissed that Anton, as nice as he is, interrupted their second round of love making. Now that she thinks about it what was he even doing out in the forest and, more importantly, how long had he been out there?

“Wait… where you watching us have sex?”

Kate cant help but blush as she says it; she doesn't have any underwear on and her bra is currently laying somewhere on the backseat of the car.

“No! Well… Yeah. I’m sorry but you were being kind of loud and when the moon takes over it’s a little hard to stop yourself.”

Great; now everybody has heard her having sex.

“Its the smell you see,” Anton say’s as his eyes go wide and glassy, “All that sex in the air… all that lust!”

His body suddenly starts to tremble; like there’s something underneath his skin trying to claw its way out. Richie takes hold of Kate’s hand and pulls her behind him slightly as Anton continues to shift in front off them.

“Do the breathing Anton, do the breathing!” He mutters to himself and thankfully his body stops shaking after a while.

“Are you ok? Kate asks as she peers over Richie’s shoulder. She doesn't much fancy being eaten by a werewolf on Valentines Day if she can help it.

“Phew… yeah. Got it under control. Its the moon you see; it’s in full bloom tonight so I can get a bit carried away. Probably should be on my way anyway, leave you two lovebirds to it.”

He gives them a roguish wink which Kate only halfheartedly returns; her scalp is now starting to throb where her hair got ripped out. Anton gives Richie his cousins address and tells them they're welcome to pop by anytime. They wave him off as he sprints back into the forest and out of sight.

“That was cool!” Richie exclaims loudly and Kate cant help but smile as she puts her arm around his waist. Richie’s arm loops around her shoulder and then his hand goes automatically to her breast which causes Kate to raise her eyebrows at him. 

“Sorry, must be the full moon, its making me frisky.”

Kate frowned; frisky was not a word Richie would normally use.

“Are you ok?”

“I think so. There must be a stronger transference when I take blood of someone who’s also supernatural.”

There was even a subtle New Zealand twang to his accent. Great.

“You’re not going to turn all furry on me are you?”

“Nah I don’t think so mate…. sorry; it'll wear off in a bit. Man; Seth is gonna kill me.”

They'd walked back to the car; or what was left of it. Two of the doors where hanging off, the roof was caved in all the back windows were smashed. Kate, however, did manage to find her underwear underneath the front seat and apart from a few pieces of glass stuck in them that she picked out, they were relatively OK. She never did manage to find her bra though. Richie tries to start the engine several times until steam pours out from underneath the bonnet. In the end they give up and call Seth to come and pick them up. They decided not to tell him about the cars condition just yet. It will take him over an hour to get to them so they pull a blanket out of the trunk and lay out on the grass. The stars are shinning brightly above them, the sky is so clear, and Kate cant help but think how romantic it is out here. She’s about to ask Richie to teach her all the star names again when she catches sight of his face. There’s a sadness there that seems burned into his very soul.

“Richie? What the matter?”

“Nothing. Its just… This wasn't what you wanted was it?”

Kate props herself up to look at him more closely.

“What do you mean.”

“You said it yourself; no monsters tonight and look what happened,” He says miserably, “Its not like you’ll ever be rid of them either, not when you're with me at least.”

After all this time together; he still sees himself as a monster. Kate sighs sadly as she takes hold of his hand. It kills her that he thinks of himself that way but that particular conversation is for another time, a time where she can hold onto him properly and show him how much good there is inside him. 

“Well I don’t know what you’re talking about but I had a great time,” Kate says chirpily as Richie looks up at her in disbelief, “We danced all night, we made love, you made a new friend and we took out a werewolf. How many couples can say that?”

“I guess so,” Richie mutters, “I just wanted it to be normal for you.”

“Richie, I got possessed by the queen of Xibalba; normal went out the window a long time ago. And who needs normal anyway? You wanna hop in the backseat again before Seth gets here? I thought you said you were hungry?”

This earns her a big smile as he pulls her close towards him and kisses her. So yeah, maybe her Valentines Day had consisted of being perved on by a werewolf, having half her hair ripped out and a £100 dress which was now effectively ruined but honestly? Kate wouldn't have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed some sexy Kitchie times! Bonus points to anybody who can guess where Anton is from!  
> Title is from the Ozzy Osbourne song "Bark at the Moon."


	3. When Troubles Melt Like Lemon Drops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Promt: Sick Richie + Angry Vanessa + The Wizard of Oz
> 
> Of course Richie would go and ruin Vanessa's special Valentine's Day, just like he ruins everything else. Now she's going to be stuck at home with him and being ignored by Seth; that is until his not so imaginary girlfriend Kate turns up to look after him.

**_“Kate I’m really sorry but - “_ **   
**_“Richie put the phone down and go back to bed!”_ **   
**_“But I have I have to speak to Kate!”_ **   
**_“Richie I swear to god if you’re sick on me again!"_ **   
**_“Kate I,”_ **

Kate replayed the voice mail on her phone for the second time that evening; it still didn't make any sense. It was Valentines Day, her first with Richie, and she had been halfway through curling her hair in preparation for their big date when she noticed her phone was flashing. The voice mail wasn't very clear; just Richie arguing with another man and what sounded like someone throwing up. She had tried calling back put it either cut off or just went through to voice mail. He was supposed to pick her up at seven but when it became clear that Richie wasn't coming to get her, Kate changed out of her dress and into a simple jeans and t shirt combo. Now she was worried. Richie hadn't sounded at all well on the phone; what if he was by all himself? She had no idea who the other person he had been talking to was. What if they had left and he was all alone? Half an hour later Kate had borrowed her dads car and made the short drive over to where Richie lived. She’d had beg her dad to let her take the car; she’d only just passed her test after failing it three times and almost crashing into a mail box. There was no answer when she knocked on the door but she could hear the TV blaring from inside so she tried again. She was almost ready to give up when a young man with dark hair and pretty brown eyes finally answered the door.

“Yeah?”

He sounded like he was in kind of in a bad mood which made Kate feel even more awkward. this must be Richie’s older brother, Seth, but he doesn't exactly seem pleased to see a random girl on his doorstep. Maybe this was a bad idea; they had only been dating for a couple of weeks. Perhaps Richie wouldn't want her turning up unannounced like this. The man is starting to look even more annoyed by the minute so Kate starts rambling awkwardly.

“Ummm Hi; My names Kate and -“

As soon as she says her name the mans whole demeanour changes and he looks at her with a mixture of curiosity and abject excitement.

“Wait, you’re Richie’s Kate? Preachers daughter right? The one Richie never shuts up about?”

Kate flushes bright red with embarrassment; although it is nice to hear that Richie talks about her to his brother. Scott would probably agree that Kate never stops talking about Richie either.

“Yeah, thats me.”

Seth’s face lights up in a very mischievous way as he leans against the door frame to get a better look at her. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that she's being thoroughly vetted.

“Well, its nice to finally meet you Kate. Honestly; I pictured you as being taller. No biggie. I’ve been bugging Richie for ages to let me meet you. He thinks I’ll embarrass him.”

“Oh I’m sure you wouldn't do that.”

“Hell yeah I would; its my right as an older brother,” Seth says happily, “So what can I do for you Kate?”

“Um… well… Richie called me… he sounded kinda sick…I was just wondering if he was ok…”  
Seth’s eyes go wide

“Oh shit, I was meant to call you back!” Seth says as his eyes go wide with realisation, “ Shit, it’s just he’s been throwing his guts up all night, mostly all over me, and I completely forgot. Its been like something out of the Exorcist in here. You had plans tonight right?”

Kate nods. Richie had got them tickets to see a special screening of The Wizard of Oz. It’s Kate’s favourite film and whilst it would be disappointing not to see it, she’s more concerned that Richie is ok. All though his brother is clearly up to the task of looking after him so maybe she shouldn't have bothered coming over, its not like Richie was dying or anything.

“Thats ok. Sorry I shouldn't have bothered you,” She turns to leave but Seth catches her by the arm.

“Hey hold up a sec; you wanna come in? He was sleeping last time I checked but you can go see him if you want to.”

“Oh um ok thanks. If you’re sure you don't mind.”

“Not at all Princess.”

Seth ushers her inside the apartment, chattering away at rapid speed again about how much Richie never stops talking about her. Kate’s face flushes with embarrassment again; she’s not used to being the centre of attention like this.

“You wait here and I’ll - “

“Who’s she?”

Kate turns around to find a tall, pretty woman wearing a dress that doesn't exactly cover much, she defiantly has the body for it though, standing in the doorway with her arms folded across her chest. The expression on her face isn't exactly welcoming and Kate is starting to feel a little self conscious in her jeans and t shirt. There’s an awkward silence as the woman’s eyes swivel back and forth from Kate to Seth. She looks pissed.

“I’m,” Kate starts to introduce herself but is cut off by the girl who starts ranting at Seth.

“Is this one of your little side bitches you’ve been screwing with?” She snarls as she starts jabbing her finger in Seth’s chest, “Are you cheating on me Seth? Answer me!”

Kate, who had initially taken offence to being called a “side bitch”, starts to correct the woman but is cut off by Seth who looks completely exasperated.

“What?! This is Kate!”

“Who the fuck is Kate?!”

“She’s Richie’s girlfriend!”

“Richie doesn't have a girlfriend, not a real one anyway.”

“Well she looks pretty real to me.”

Kate frowns in annoyance, this isn't exactly a conversation she wants to be a part of but the other two seem content to continue fighting even with Kate still standing there. Vanessa, who can seemingly breath and shout at the same time, lets rip at Seth with full force.

“I thought you said he made her up?”

“What?! I did not say that! When did I ever say that?”

“Well who on earth in their right mind would want to go out with your brother anyway?!”

“Knock it off Vanessa!”

“Don’t talk to me like that Seth!”

“Well stop talking shit about Richie!”

“Well maybe if I start acting like a crazy loon you’ll finally give a shit!”

Finally they both stop for breath and Kate can finally get to the whole reason why she had showed up in the first place.

“So… umm… Richie? Can I go see him?”

There’s an awkward pause as Vanessa grinds her teeth in frustration and Seth tries to get his breathing under control.

“Sorry Kate; I’ll go see if he’s awake.”

He disappears off down the hall way, leaving the two woman in a frosty silence. Just from her tone Kate has already deduced that this is Seth’s girlfriend, Vanessa. Richie doest exactly think very highly of her and it seems like the feeling is mutual. Kate hovers awkwardly in the hallway, trying to think of something to break the ice whilst Vanessa unashamedly looks her up and down. The dress she has on is skin tight and matched by a pair of sky high knee boots that probably would have killed Kate had she tried to walk in them. As it was a special occasion, Kate had brought herself a pretty new sundress that she was going to wear out tonight but she would never have the confidence to pull off Vanessa’s outfit. She’s not sure why Seth’s girlfriend is so dressed up just to sit around the house though. Vanessa still breathing heavily through her nose so Kate makes another attempt at small talk.

“Sooo….you’re Vanessa? Seth’s girlfriend right?”

“Fiancé, actually,” She says shorty, “Are you really Richie’s girlfriend?”

“Yeah, I am.”

Vanessa’s eyes narrow slightly, almost like she still doesn't believe Kate’s story. It’s starting to get a little irritating.

“Where’d you meet him?”

“At a book store.”

“Figures. You know he’s nuts right? I’m talking full on freak show. I keep telling Seth he needs to lock him up but he wont listen.”

Kate’s jaw clenches in annoyance; she’s starting to get a more than a little pissed with Vanessa’s attitude. If she doesn't like Richie then thats her own problem, it doesn't mean she has the right to make fun of him or call him hurtful names. Thankfully Seth returns before Kate’s temper gets the better of her.

“He’s still sleeping but you can go in if you want. I’m pretty sure he’s stopped being sick so you wont get covered in a fountain of vomit like I did earlier.”

He’s about to lead her down the hallway to wherever Richie’s bedroom is but Vanessa grabs him by the elbow and pulls him back around to face her.

“Great, now she’s here,” She jerks her head in Kate’s direction, “We can go out, you know, like we planned before your brother decided to be selfish and ruin it.”

“Oh not this again! Babe, I'm sorry we couldn't go out like you wanted but he’s sick! I cant just go out and leave him. What if something happens?”

“Oh for gods sake Seth he’s not a baby! How about you pay attention to me for once!”

“Jesus Christ,” Seth fumes as he throws his hands up, “I cant believe we’re actually having this conversation!”

“HE DID THIS ON PURPOSE!!”

“Don’t be ridiculous; nobody gets sick on purpose!”

“Richie would! He’s nuts and -“

“Hey! I told you not to call him that!”

“He’s fucking crazy Seth! Everybody can see it except you!”

“Watch your mouth,” Seth snaps with a sideways look at Kate. It seems like they've had this same exact conversation before and Kate would very much like to excuse herself but she has no idea where Richie’s bedroom is. They both seem to have forgotten that Kate is standing between them again as they continue to scream at one another.

“I spent two hundred dollars on lingerie just to make myself look nice for you,” Vanessa cries as her voice starts to break, “And you’d rather stay here and watch dumb old movies with your brother.”

“How many times do I have to say it, huh? He’s my brother and he’s sick! Why on earth would he plan this if he was going out with his own girlfriend?!”

Vanessa ignores him and continues to rant away; stomping her foot into the ground in exasperation. She almost spears Kate’s foot with one of her heels.

“All day you’ve been in there with him, all day! It’s Valentines Day and you’ve not paid any attention to me! This is supposed to be our special night!”

“He’s sick! I’m not gonna just leave him puking his guts out on his own!”

“You always do this! You always pick him over me!”

“No I don’t!”

“YES YOU DO!!”

“SHHH; YOU’RE GONNA WAKE HIM UP!”

“SEE! I TOLD YOU!!”

“You can have our tickets to The Wizard of Oz if you want,” Kate says loudly as she tries to interject between Seth and Vanessa’s yelling, “We’re not gonna use them now but it would be a shame if they went to waste.”

They both turn to look at her, both red in the face, and breathing heavily like they've just run a marathon.

“What’s The Wizard of Oz?” Vanessa asks as she eyes Kate suspiciously.

“Its a film.” It’s only the best film of all time; her mom used to watch it with her all the time when she was little and Kate knows practically the whole script off by heart. She had been so excited when Richie had gotten them tickets to a special screening at the arts cinema.

“Thank you Kate,” Seth say’s as he attempts to brush past the awkwardness of Kate witnessing the screaming match, “That’s very nice of you.”

“I don’t know where the tickets are though; Richie had them.’

“If I know Richie like I think I do, they will probably be in here,” Seth says as he pulls out a red envelope from underneath the kitchen counter top and hands it too her. Kate feels herself blush as she takes the card, she’s not going to read it in front of them so she quickly pulls out the tickets and hands them over to Seth. Vanessa, meanwhile, is eyeing her Valentines Day card with intense look of furry on her face.

“Richie got you a Valentines Day card?”

“Uhh yeah,” Kate says as she hugs the card close to her. She really wishes they would just hurry and leave so she can go and see Richie. Plus she doesn't think her ears can take another shouting match.

“So Richie can get his not so imaginary girlfriend a Valentines Day card but my fiancee cant even be bothered to get me one?! Vanessa shouts as she rounds on Seth.

Kate thinks its probably a bad time to point out that Richie also sent her a bunch of her favourite flowers as well. Thankfully Seth manages to defuse the situation by promising Vanessa he left her card in the car. Somehow Kate doesn't quite believe him. It takes them a further twenty minutes to get out the door much to Vanessa’s annoyance as Seth insists on showing Kate where everything is, where all the medicine is kept and giving her a full run down of every illness and allergy Richie has ever had.

“Here’s my cell,” Seth says as he scribbles his number down on a piece of paper and hands it to her, “Call me if you need anything or if he gets worse. Richie’s room is the second on the left.”

“Oh for gods sake Seth; he’s not dying!”

Ten minutes later she’s finally waving them off and is left in blessed silence. The card is still clutched tightly to her chest. its not an overtly gushy one which Kate appreciates; just a picture of a pea and a pea pod with the words “You’re the Pea to My Pod” above it. Kate’s never gotten a Valentine’s Day card before, well not one that wasn't not so secretly from her mom, and the piece of paper with a heart drawn on it that Kyle gave her last year doesn't count. His words are sweet and loving with promises of things to come; it makes her feel happy and contented. Richie keeps so much bottled up inside him it can be difficult at times for him to let anyone in but he’s always been an open book to her. She tucks the card carefully back in its envelope and creeps quietly along the hall way to Richie’s bedroom. Its only a small apartment so thankfully she doesn't end up walking into a closet. Kate knocks gently on the door and after waiting for a few moments and hearing nothing; she enters as quietly as she can. Its very dark inside and she can hear the sound of steady breathing coming from the large bed. From what she can see, Richie’s room is very neat just like she expected except, for the huge bookshelf in the corner that’s overflowing with books. There’s also a large TV, which is giving off the only light in the room, playing an old black and white film and a pile of dvds scattered on the floor. After almost breaking her neck tripping over a disgraced shoe, she tiptoes over to where Richie is currently curled up fast asleep. The blankets are pulled up so high only the top of his head is visible and his skin is pale and clammy when Kate gently rests her hand hand on his forehead. She pulls the duvet up a little further, he looks so sweet all curled up, and is about to leave him to his rest when Richie’s eyes flicker open.

“Seth?”

Great; she hadn't meant to wake him up. She only wanted to check he was ok or if he needed anything.

“No, its me. Kate,”

“Kate?”

He hasn't got his glasses on so she's just a big blur to him at the moment.

“Hi,” Kate says awkwardly as Richie fumbles to put his glasses on.

“What are you doing here?”

“I just wanted to check you were ok; you didn't sound so good on the phone. I just thought… sorry I can go if you want.”

She turns to leave but Richie catches her by the hand and pulls her back towards him.

“No! Don't go! Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, I’m just not feeling so good.”

He seems a bit confused; like its a strange concept that somebody would actually go out of their way to make sure he’s ok. It makes her a little sad.

“Well I’m here to look after you know,” Kate says as she strokes her thumb across his hand, “Nurse Kate at your service.”

“I’m sorry I should have called you back,” Richie says miserably as he rolls over to make room for her on the bed, “I ruined everything.”

“Oh honey; you didn't ruin anything. You can’t help it if you got sick. You need a glass of water or anything?”

Richie still seems a little feverish so she roots around in the large box of medicine that Seth left out and gives him some paracetamol Seth to take as well. Richie turns out to be a very good patient and allows Kate to fuss over him for a while before he lays down with his head resting on her stomach. She tells him about her day, what essays she has for college as she cards her fingers through his thick hair.

“So I met Vanessa. She seems… interesting.”

“Ugh. I hate Vanessa. She’s not good for Seth.”

“Your brother is nice though. Told me you can’t stop talking about me,” Kate teases as Richie smiles against her stomach, “He seemed very disappointed that he hadn't met me before.”

“Thats just because he wants to fill you in on every embarrassing incident I’ve ever had. But yeah… he's ok.”

They lay in silence for a while; Kate’s pretty sure Richie has fallen asleep again, in fact she was almost nodding off herself, when he suddenly sits bolt up right. His face turned from white to green faster than a set of traffic lights.

“Richie? What -“ Before she can get the rest of her sentence out, before she can even move herself out of harms way, Richie makes a weird gagging noise an then throws up spectacularly all over her.

Theres an awkward pause as Kate and looks down at her vomit covered self. Its even in her hair.

“I’m so sorry,” Richie manages to get out before he starts to retch again. Kate just about manages to direct his head towards the waste paper basket before she gets a second coating of throw up. She rubs his back in what she hopes is a soothing way whilst he vomits again. Its even coming out of his nose.

“Shhh Its ok,” Kate says softly as strokes Richie’s hair as he finally stops retching, “You’re ok.”

Once she’s one hundred percent sure that he’s not going to be sick again, Kate cleans Richie up and strips the duvet off the bed. He’s understandably very embarrassed but Kate just keeps reassuring him thats its fine, theres no harm done, except to her clothes maybe.

“There’s some clothes,” Richie mumbles as he waves his hand vaguely at the wardrobe and curls up into a ball, “In there.”

It’s difficult trying to get across the room with out dripping vomit all over the place but somehow she manages it with at least a little bit of dignity. Her jeans are starting to stick to her so she peels them off and tosses them on top of the messy sheets. She’ll sort that out later. Kate hesitates before she takes her shirt off; they haven’t really gone much further than kissing and a bit of groping. She hadn't exactly envision the first time he saw her in her underwear that she would also be covered in throw up. Richie’s eyes are still closed though and the vomit is really starting to smell so Kate strips her shirt off and rifles through Richie’s wardrobe for something to wear. She ends with a pair of sweatpants that she has to roll up at least four times so she doesn't trip over and an old band t shirt.

“Richie; you ok?”

“Mmmm,” Richie groans as he clutches his stomach.

A short time later Kate’s managed to clean most of the vomit off herself and Richie, although she can still smell it in her hair and the room could probably do with a good airing. She’d put her soiled clothes into a garbage bag she found under the sink and stuffed Richie sheets into the wash. Then she dragged the blanket off the back of the couch and tucked Richie back into bed. By this point it’s only nine in the evening but Kate is so exhausted that she craws into bed beside Richie and tucks herself in next to him. He cuddles into her which is nice, even though they both smell like vomit and disinfectant. Its a while before either of them speak, they just lay inch other arms in a peaceful silence.

“Kate?” Richie's voice sounds a little horse from being sick so much, “My Uncle Eddie is doing a family dinner next weekend. Do you wanna come?”

Kate’s face splits into a smile. Richie’s met her dad a couple of times when he picked her up and they've been to the movies with Scott but Kate has yet to meet anyone from Richie’s family. Well, until tonight anyway. Seth seems nice enough though, in the typical embarrassing older brother sense, and she already knows how much Richie’s Uncle means to him.

“Yeah; that would be nice. Thank you. Are you feeling better?”

“A little. You wanna watch The Wizard of Oz? I’ve got in on Blu Ray.”

“Sure; I can impress you with my singing abilities.”

Kate sets the Blu Ray up and then craws back into bed beside Richie. It’s not long before Kate is humming along to the songs. Its nice laying together.

“What did you do with the tickets?

Richie back to laying with his head on her stomach; this seems to be a favourite position of his and Kate makes a mental note of it for later use.

“I gave them to Seth and Vanessa.”

“Vanessa will never appreciate the greatness of Julie Andrews. That reminds me,” He leans over and digs around under his bed until he pulls out a box tied with a bow and hands it to her, “Sorry I didn’t have time to wrap it properly; I didn't want to risk throwing up on it.”

Kate pulls the bow off curiously and lets out a squeal once she’s opened the box; it’s a pair of ruby red shoes. Just like the ones Dorothy wears.

“Where did you get these?” Kate asks incredulously as she inspects them closely, they even have the bow on the front.

“Sorry; that’s top secret,” He says, and then a little more nervously, “Do you like them?”

“Oh Richie I love them! I begged my mom for a pair of these when I was little; the closest I ever got was a pair red glitter jelly shoes.”

She leans over and kisses him properly, even though he tastes like throw up and his skin is all gross and sweaty.

“You’re really special do you know that?”

Richie flushes bright red and mutters something about it being no big deal so Kate pulls him into a warm cuddle and kisses the top of his head. They settle back down under the blanket and continue with the film. Richie only throws up two more times; thankfully not on Kate. She prepared herself by bringing in the bowl from the kitchen sink and had managed to shove it under Richie’s nose just in time. Once they're both sure that Riches unlikely to bring anything else up they retreat back underneath the covers and watch Dorothy follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City.

Kate wakes hours later in total darkness. The TV has been turned off and the blanket has been replaced by a thick quilt. Richie’s glasses are resting on the nightstand next to Kate’s new shoes which mean Seth must have come in and turned everything off. It takes a while for Kate to realise what woke her up until she’s greeted to the sounds of Vanessa grunting out Seth’s name like a dying animal. At least they’re not arguing. Richie is still sleeping peacefully beside her, she runs her hands through his soft dark hair. He looks really cute when he sleeps. They might not have gone out like they planned and Kate did get covered in vomit but she did get to spend the night with the one person she loves the most, and isn't that what Valentines Day is all about?


	4. Nightcall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Promt: Over protective Seth + Online Dating +Mental Health Issues
> 
> Of all the crazy things Richie has done, and there have been many, wanting to meet someone he met of the internet is definitely top five. Seth sure as hell isn't about to let his baby brother fall into the clutches of a budding serial killer if he's got anything to do with it.

**January**

**RG:** You seem like a nice girl.  
**KF:** How would you know? I could be a terrible person.  
**RG:** I pick up on things.  
**KF:** Oh yeah? What other things do you pick up on? Underage girls?  
**RG:** That would be despicable.  
**KF:** I’m not by the way.  
**RG:** What?  
**KF:** Underage. Sorry my dad is calling me. I don't wanna talk to him, not right now.  
**RG:** You have a problem with him?  
**KF:** Doesn't every girl have a problem with her dad?  
**RG:** Its something deeper than that; something that really hurts. I really think you should talk to him. It will make you feel better.  
**KF:** Are you some kind of internet preacher; you sound like a bible salesman.  
**RG:** I dont sell bibles but I think i see the truth. I see a lot of things.  
**KF:** Like what?  
**RG:** I see a girl hiding from her father.  
**KF:** Something happened to me and my family, my dad keeps lying about it. I don't know how to talk to him. I don’t know why I’m telling you this.  
**RG:** Sometimes its easier to talk to strangers.  
**KF:** My name is Kate.  
**RG:** See now you’ve gone and ruined the whole thing.  
**KF:** :)  
**RG:** Richard.

**February**

“What are you so happy about? You’ve been grinning like an idiot into your phone for the past two hours.”

They’d been on the road for the past couple of days; it was getting late and Seth was just about to suggest they call it a night and find a hotel when he noticed his brothers whole attention was consumed by his phone.

“None of your business,” Richie replied as he tucked his phone back inside his jacket.

“Come on; what is it? Its not that cat video again is it?”

“No; its nothing. just leave it Seth.”

“There’s something you’re not telling me.”

It was probably a pointless exercise hiding something like this from Seth, who knew him inside and out, but he wanted to keep Kate to himself for a little while longer.

**March**

**KF:** Can I ask you something?  
**RG:** Shoot  
**KF:** We’ve been talking for a while now and you’ve never asked to see a picture of me. Why?  
**RG:** Why does it matter what you look like?  
**KF:** It doesn't I suppose; most guys are normally into that kind of thing. Looks I mean.  
**RG:** Well thats just stupid. You could miss out on the person you’re meant to spend the rest of you’re life with if you just go on looks.  
**KF:** I could be terribly ugly for all you know.  
**RG:** So could I.  
**KF:** Touche.  
**RG:** How about you tell me one thing about yourself?  
**KF:** I’m short; really I’m barely five foot tall.  
**RG:** No; not your appearance. Something real. Something nobody else knows about you.  
**KF:** Ok… let me think…but don't laugh.  
**RG:** I wont I promise.  
**KF:** I’ve never read Harry Potter.  
**RG:** What? How can you not have read Harry Potter? Thats like one of the greatest book series of all time!  
**KF:** My Daddy is a preacher; everyone at church convinced him they promoted witchcraft. I’ve watched the movies though.  
**RG:** The movies suck compared to books. You need the real deal. Where can I send you a copy?  
**KF:** You don't have to do that.  
**RG:** Its fine; Its bad enough that Seth hasn't read them. I can send you the PDF files if you’re worried about your dad thinking you've succumbed to witchcraft.  
**KF:** Ha Ha very funny.  
**KF:** OK, whats one thing about you that nobody knows? I’m talking deep dark secret.  
**KF:** Richie?

**April**

“There’s nothing else to discuss because you’re not gong!”

Richie had finally brought up the subject of Kate with Seth and it hadn't gone well. All he’d wanted was some advice about how to ask Kate if she wanted to meet up in person but what he’d gotten was Seth almost bursting a blood vessel.

“I’m not a child Seth!”

“Well you’re sure as hell acting like one,” Seth snapped as he slammed his foot down on the execrator, “Richard; your talking about meeting some lunatic off the internet!”

“She’s not a lunatic! And I don't even know if she’d want to meet me yet anyway.”

Richie had been trying to get his point across for over an hour but Seth just wasn't listening to him. No matter how many times he explained that Kate was just a regular girl and not a serial killer hiding behind a keyboard.

“We are done talking about this. You’re not going and thats the end of it.”

“But-“

“I said no Richard! Now do something useful and find out if we’re going in the right direction.”

Richie opened his mouth to retort but thinks the better of it. Seth can be ridiculously stubborn at times so Richie will just have to play the long game with him. He doesn't mention Kate again for another month.

**May**

**KF:** Are you ok?  
**RG:** No.  
_**Incoming call: Kate**_

 **RG:** I’m sorry about last night. I shouldn't have dumped all that on you.  
**KF:** Don’t be silly Richie, It’s fine. Did you manage to get any sleep in the end?  
**RG:** You don't have to be nice to me. I’d understand if you didn't want to talk to me again.  
**KF:** Richie stop; I told you it’s fine.  
**RG:** Kate, I spent all night telling you how I used to hear voices in my head and spent most of last year in a mental hospital.  
**KF:** So?  
**RG:** Thats not the reaction I normally get.  
**KF:** Do you not want to talk to me anymore? Cus it seems like you're trying to make excuses for me not to talk to you.  
**RG:** No, I love talking to you but I shouldn't be telling you that stuff. It’s selfish of me after what you went through with your mom.  
**KF:** My mom would be very disappointed in me if I didn't help someone in their time of need. So stop trying to get rid of me!  
**RG:** Ok but only if you’re sure you don't mind.  
**KF:** I said I didn't and I meant it. You can talk to me anytime; I’ll always be here for you.  
**RG:** Thank you; that means a lot to me. You know I’m always here for you too don't you?  
**KF:** Of course I do; I talk to you more than anybody else!  
**KF:** I read the first Harry Potter book by the way. You’re right; they are better than the films.  
**RG:** I told you! Did you enjoy it?  
**KF:** Oh yeah; I’m already on the second one!

**June**

“Let me just check that I'm hearing this correctly; you decided that of all the millions of people you could decide to go out with you’re still obsessing over some nut job on the internet?”

Richie had brought up the idea of meeting Kate again with Seth; he had thought that once he’d given Seth some time to get used to the idea that he would calm down. Apparently he was wrong. Now they were trapped arguing in the car again as they drove to Utah.

“Where did you even meet this person anyway? They didn't try and suck you into one of those creepy chatrooms did they?”

“No, don't be so dramatic. You know when they let me out of the hospital… you made me go that stupid therapy group?”

Bringing up Richie’s time GreenFields Psychiatric Hospital was always a touchy subject. Richie didn't really like to talk about it because he knew how guilty it made Seth feel but it was unavoidable this time.

“You mean the one that you refused to go to?

“Yeah. Well they had this online group thing and I just sort of started talking to her on there.”

Seth looks at him in horror; if they weren't on a schedule he would have damn sure pulled the car over and tried to knock some sense into Richie’s head.

“So she’s crazy?”

“She’s not crazy Seth; she was just a bit messed up after her Mom died. And if you're calling her crazy then you’re basically saying that i am as well.

To give him his credit Seth does look a little guilty as he tries to apologise.

“I wasn't saying that you were crazy what I meant was that you could have made a better choice. Like a real person.”

“Kate is real!”

Seth is silent for a while but the muscle in his jaw is going which means he’s trying to think of a better way of wording whats running through his head. Richie only has to wait a few more minutes before Seth finally starts talking and it isn't good.

“Look… don’t get mad at me ok? But I have to ask; She’s not one of those people that you heard talking to you in your head like before is she? I wont be mad if you’ve just made her up.”

Richie feels all the colour drain from his face; how could Seth even ask that? He’s been doing so much better than he was this time last year. He takes all his medication when he’s supposed to, he sees a therapist three times a week. Kate is probably the only normal thing in his life. He turns towards the window before Seth can see the tears welling up in his eyes.

“Richie? Talk to me buddy.”

“Leave me alone.”

They spend the rest of the drive in silence.

**July**

  
**KF:** Are you still fighting with your brother?  
**RG:** Yeah. He’s an asshole.  
**KF:** He’s just being protective.  
**RG:** I don’t want to talk about Seth anymore.  
**KF:** What do you want to talk about?  
**RG:** You.

**August**

“Do you know what happens to idiots like you who meet people off the internet? They die Richard, because the sweet little preachers daughter they thought they were talking to ends up being a whack job, who's only intention is to start chopping off body parts!”

Richie banged his head against the car window in frustration; Seth could really be quite ridiculous sometimes.

“You know thats statistical impossible don't you?”

“I don’t care about statistics Richard; I care about you!”

“No; you just want me to whatever you say!”

“Well maybe if you didn't keep trying to do stupid stuff then I would have too!”

Richie is getting beyond frustrated now. He gets it; Seth cares about him more than anything but sometimes all that care and attention is smothering. For once he’d just like to be able to make his own choices. He’ll feel guilty for yelling later but he just can’t help himself.

“You always do this! You always boss me around! Just for once, can’t you let me make my own decisions?!”

Seth is equally as pissed off and he doesn’t hold back.

“The last time I let you make you’re own decisions you ended up in the hospital with a stomach full of sleeping tablets! Do you think I’m going got let you get into that state again?”

“That’s not fair! This isn't anything like that!”

They’ve pulled into the drive way of the motel; neither caring that everyone can hear them arguing.

“I’m sorry Richie but if you can’t see why this is a bad idea then you - Hey! I’m talking to you! Don't you walk away from me!”

Richie ignores him and shoves the car door open, stomps his way towards their motel room and slams the door behind him.

**September**

  
**RG** : I really like you.  
**KF:** I really like you too.

  
**October**

“Richard this isn’t “How I Met Your Mother,” this is “How I Met the Serial Killer Who Killed Me!”

Richie had thought giving Seth some time to cool off and think rationally about the whole Kate situation would have changed his brothers opinion somewhat. He had started bringing Kate up in everyday conversation, just so Seth could get used to the idea of her, but it hadn't really gone to plan. Seth just got more and more wound up by the idea that Kate was a budding serial killer.

“Would you stop already?! Kate is not a serial killer!”

Seth just breathed heavily through his nose; his nostrils flaring. He was gripping the steering wheel with a lot more force than was strictly necessary which was another sure sign that he was pissed off.

“What does she look like anyway? You never said. Wait, she’s probably given you a fake picture; thats what these creeps do Richie. Trust me; I’ve watched enough Criminal Minds.”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don't know?”

“I didn't ask her for a picture.”

“Why the hell not?!”

Richie shrugs. He’s all ready discussed all this with Kate; looks aren't really that important to either of them. It doesn't matter that he’s not spent any physical time with her. He’s already connected with Kate on a far deeper level than just looks.

“Because that type of stuff doest matter to me. She doesn't know what I look like either. If she was trying to murder me, as you keep suggesting, wouldn't she have asked to know what I look like?”

This seems to have stumped Seth as he tries to find a way to argue his point. Eventually he gives up and tries to talk Richie into bar crawling with him, even though he knows Richie hates talking to people in bars.

“Look we can go to bar or something; I’ll help you pick up a chick if you want. A real one that you can actually talk to.”

“But I do talk to her.”

“I don’t mean in your little computer world,” Seth says as he pulls off the interstate and continues along the backroads, “I mean in person. So you can hear her voice, make sure she’s actually a girl.

“But I have spoken to her in person.”

“What are you talking about?”

“On the phone; we call each other.”

Seth almost crashes into a tree as he turns towards Richie in disbelief. Richie really doesn't see what the big deal is; he likes talking to Kate over the phone. Sometimes he can’t sleep at night, he wouldn't want to wake Seth, and its comforting to know that there’s someone on the other end of the phone willing to talk to him. Seth clearly doesn't see it this way.

“You gave a crazy person off the internet your phone number? Why stop there Richard; why not give her your address and leave the front door unlocked while you’re at it!”

“She’s.Not.Crazy.Seth!”

“How would you even know?!”

“Well I don’t care what you think; I’m going to ask her if she wants to meet in person and theres nothing you can do to stop me!”

“Ask away Richie because I’ll tell you one thing for sure; you’re not setting one foot out that door unless I’m with you. I’ve had enough of this anyway; I’m calling you’re therapist as soon as we get home. Maybe she can put a stop to this obsession of yours.”

They spend the rest of the car ride shouting at each other until Richie gives up and refuses to even look at Seth.

 **November**  
**RG:** Can I ask you something?  
**KF:** Sure.  
**RG:** Do you think we should meet? Like in person?  
**RG:** Kate?  
**RG:** Sorry I shouldn't have asked. We can just talk online if you want.  
_**KF is offline.**_

 **KF:** Richie???  
**RG:** Hi.  
**KF:** Sorry, a fuse went out in the basement and we lost all the power. I had to go get extra candles from the church. What did you want to ask me? It cut off before I could see your question.  
**RG:** I just  
**KF:** ????  
**RG:** It’s nothing  
**RG:** Just wanted to know how your day went.

**December**

“Ok I have something to tell you so you have to promise not get all mad and throw a fit.”

Richie eyed Seth suspiciously; they seemed to have reached an impasse over the last couple of days. Seth was being extra nice to him and whenever Richie brought up Kate he was now less likely to say that she was a budding serial killer.

“So this girl you’re so desperate to meet; I had Eddie’s friend Manny look into her details, just to check her out.”

Richie is livid; how could Seth invade his privacy like this?! What if Kate found out that Seth had some crooked cop look into her background? She’d probably ever want to speak to him again.

“What?! Seth you had no right to do that!”

“I have every right Richard!” Seth snaps, “I just wanted to make sure she wasn't some weird pervert!”

“I already told you she wasn’t! You should have just listened to me in the first place!”

Seth lets out a frustrated sigh and looks over at Richie although he doesn't look mad this time; he just looks dejected and kind of sad.

“Look, I know I can go over the top sometimes but I’m trying here Richie,” they drive in silence for a while before Seth continues, “I fucked up big time before because I didn't look out for you, like I should have done, and I almost lost you.

Richie’s expression softens; he wishes Seth would stop feeling so guilty about what happened. There wasn't a lot he could have done to help Richie back then and they muddled through together in the end.

“I promise I don’t know what she looks like or anything,” Seth continues and Richie could tell he was being truthful, “Just that her name really is Kate Fuller and what she told you about her mom and where she goes to college is all true.”

“So if you still want to go and meet her then I would be ok with that. But you have to tell me where so I can drive you and pick you up afterwards.”

As happy as he is that Seth is finally on board with him meeting Kate he cant help but feel a bit nervous about the whole situation. Now he has to actually ask Kate if she wants to meet him. A horrible niggle of self doubt starts to pick away at him and he remains silent; all to aware of the furtive glances Seth is shooting him.

“What if she doesn't want to meet me?”

“Why would she not want to meet you? I thought you two had been talking to each other for ages?”

“Yeah… but…”

“But what? come on, out with it Richie.”

“What if she doesn't like me after I meet her? What if she thinks I’m nuts or I say something weird and freak her out.”

It all comes out in a big rush; he’s been bottling these feeling up for a while now. His biggest fear is that he’ll meet Kate and she’ll take one look at him and decided that his particular brand of crazy is too much for her. Then he’ll be left all alone again.

“Richie you’re not crazy. You just hit a little bump in the road thats all,” Seth says kindly as he reaches over and pats Richie on the back of the neck, “And if she doesn't like you after you meet her then that’s her loss. Now come on; we didn't spend over a year arguing about this so you could chicken out.”

This is what he’d been after all along; just some brotherly advice.

“Ok; I’ll ask her and see what she says.”

“Good. And remember I’m chaperoning this little expedition.”

“Fine you can drop me off but after that you leave. I better not see you pop out from behind a bush whilst I'm talking to her.”

The atmosphere in the car lifts significantly once they've agreed on a time and a place Richie will ask Kate to meet up at. Now their back to bickering with each other over which Jean Claude Van Dame film is the more superior; Bloodsport or Kickboxer.

**January**

**RG** : Do you think we should meet?  
**RG:** Like in person?  
**RG:** Look; I don't connect with a lot of people, or anybody for that matter. But I feel like I've done that with you. I just can’t stop thinking about you, what you’re doing, how your classes are going.  
**RG:** I would just like to get the chance to meet the girl behind the screen.  
**RG:** Sorry, that was a lot. It’s ok if you don’t feel the same.  
**KF:** I would love to meet in person.  
**RG:** Oh.. ok cool.  
**KF:** I’ve been hoping you would ask me; I’d wanted to say something for ages but I was too nervous.  
**KF:** I think about you all the time as well.  
**RG:** I just wasn't sure if you would want to.  
**KF:** We’ve been talking for over a year now; I think we’re ready.  
**KF:** How will I know it’s you if I don't know what you look like?  
**RG:** I had an idea but you’ll probably think its dorky.  
**KF:** What is is?  
**RG:** We have the same favourite book right?  
**KF:** Yeah  
**RG:** I’ll be holding a copy of it so you’ll know its me. That way you can decided if you want to talk to me or not.  
**KF:** Richie of course I want to talk to you! That’s a really sweet idea.  
**RG:** :)

**February**

Valentines Day seemed to come around a lot faster this year then Richie had noticed in previous years. That was probably because he actually had something to do on Valentines Day this year. He’d picked Valentines Day mostly because at heart he was a hopeless romantic and he had feeling that Kate was as well and secondly because it fell on a day that Kate could get time away from her study schedule. Richie wasn't entirely sure why he suggested a outdoor swimming pool; it just seemed like a quiet place to meet. If their first meeting didn't go well then he didn't want a load of people around to witness it. Seth had been as good as his word and dropped him at the corner before driving off to wait in a nearby dinner. He was under strict instructions to not move from the swimming pool until Seth came to pick him up.

He’s almost made it to the sun lounges when he spots a young woman laying out across one of them. She’s wearing jeans and a tank top and Richie cant help but notice, as nervous as he is, that she’s very pretty. There’s nobody else at the pool yet but Richie makes sure the cover of the book he’s holding is on display. A Wrinkle in Time was always his favourite book as a child and he had been thrilled to discover that it was Kate’s as well. Richie’s only a few feet away from the girl when she looks up at him from underneath a curtain of shiny brown hair. There eyes lock for a moment and its almost as if time stands still; Richie can hear his heartbeat ringing in his ears. It still might not be Kate though. Maybe she’s not here yet. Suddenly the girl spots the book in his hand and her face breaks into the sweetest smile Richie has ever seen. He can help but grin back at her as he takes a seat next to her. She sits up a little straighter and holds out her hand towards him.

“I’m Kate.”

“Richard.”

He takes her small hand in his and, in this moment, he knows that he’ll never, ever let it go.


	5. Valentine's Day Massacre

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Promt: Awkward Richie + Bar meeting + Valentines Day Origins
> 
> Richie wishes he had more game, whatever that means, and wasn't currently launching into a lengthy ramble about the sordid history of death and murder that surrounds Valentines Day. The pretty brunette at the bar doesn't seem to mind though.

The Black Cat's Valentine's Day Club Night was probably the last place on earth that Richie wanted to be right now. Almost every surface was covered in a lurid shade of pink and there were so many people rammed in that Richie was pretty sure it violated about a hundred health and safety regulations. He hadn't even wanted to come to the stupid club but Seth had nagged and whined and moaned all day that he'd eventually given in just to shut him up. The noise from the music seemed to be getting louder with each terrible song so Richie had retreated to the relative safety of the bar. He'd found himself a nice little corner that was a few decibels quieter then the rest of the place. Unsurprisingly; Seth had ditched him after barely ten minutes. Two pretty blonde twins had been making eyes at him from almost the moment they walked in and Seth’s “I’ll be back in five minutes” had turned into over an hour. He should have stayed at home; they were rerunning Master of the Universe on the Classics channel tonight. There’s a clatter of chairs as two dark haired girls sit down near him in the midst of an argument but Richie is too busy feeling sorry for himself to notice. He doesn’t like clubs like this. Or any club for that matter. The bass was far too high, the lights too bright and all the people cloistered together made his head ache. It wasn't like you could even have a proper conversation with anybody anyway; not that many people were interested in talking to him. Seth keeps telling him he just needs more confidence in himself, to put himself out there more. The girls arguing is getting louder so Richie retreats down to the opposite end of the bar.

“Hey Buddy!”

Seth was back, sounding slightly more drunk then the last time Richie saw him, with the two blonde twins in tow. Finally he could go home.

“Oh great, you're back. Can we please go home now?”

“Yeah about that,” Seth says as he cast a quick glance back at the two giggling girls, “You couldn't stay here for like an hour or two could you?” 

“What? No!”

Richie’s head is really starting to hurt now. There’s too many people in here for him to be able to clear his thoughts out. All he wants to do is go home and go to sleep.

“Look I know this is a foreign concept to you, but it’s twins Richard. Twins!”

Richie turns his nose up; he couldn't even imagine having sex with same person as Seth.

“Isn’t that kind of gross; it’s borderline incest.”

“No Richie; its not gross. It’s two hot girls who are begging for a bit of alone time with yours truly. All you have to do is stay here for a little while longer.” 

“Seth don’t be a dick! I'm tired and I wanna go to bed.”

Seth isn't listening to him though; he's too busy being distracted by the two blondes and their sparkly mini dresses.

“Here; take this,” Seth says turns back around and stuffs a fifty dollar bill into Richie’s hand,”Go buy yourself some food, get a beer, whatever. Just don't come back for at least an hour. Or two.”

“But,” Richie says just as Seth gathers up a girl on each arm and heads for the exit, leaving Richie staring stupidly at his brothers retreating back for a few moments.

“You’re such an asshole!”

He must of said it louder then he intended because one of the dark haired girls looks over at him and gives him a funny look before returning to her argument with her friend. They've had to move closer to him because the bar is still filling up so he shuffles further down the end of the bar. Stupid Seth. He always does this. What on earth is he supposed to do for two hours? He should have brought a book to read but Seth had refused point blank to be seen with him if he did. The music has died down a little and he ends up tuning into the girls argument out of boredom.  

“Oh Come on, don't be such priss!”

The taller girl is reapplying a generous amount of lipstick and fluffing up her hair in the reflective glass above the bar. She seems more interested in her appearance than actually talking to her friend. He couldn't see the other girl; her friend was a lot taller which effectively blocked her from Richie’s view. Her voice sounded sweet though, like two bells chiming, but it also had an edge to it; she clearly wasn't happy with her friend.

“I said no Jess. What if my Dad finds out? I already lied to him once about staying at your house. He’ll be so mad if he finds out I'm at a bar.”

“Well what were you going to do instead? Sit in the library?" The girl, Jess, say's as she signals the bartender for another shot, "Jeez, you’re no fun since you’re mom died.”

Richie frowns in annoyance; that's a terrible thing to say to someone, especially a friend. The other girl obviously thinks so too as she can barely keep the anger out of her voice.

“Thanks Jess; sorry my mom's death killed your party vibe.”

“Oh come on that's not what I meant," Jess says as she downs her shot, "But you've got to admit you've been such a Debbie Downer lately. Even Kyle said you’d gone all weird.”

“When did you speak to Kyle?”

“Last night. He told me what happened.”

“Really? What did he say exactly.”

Richie knows he shouldn't be eves dropping but he can almost taste the embarrassment in the girls voice. This so called friend of her’s seems like a real bitch.

“That you wouldn't give up you’re v plates to him. Oh come on don't look at me like that; you've got to loose it sometime. You’ll end up being a thirty year old virgin at this rate. Ohh hot guy alert!”

They're interrupted by a man and his friend who are trying to get Jess to dance. They’re standing really close to the girls, almost blocking them in which Richie finds rude. He might be a bit awkward and say weird stuff sometimes but he at least knows how to treat a lady with respect. Jess, however, seems to be enjoying the attention as she flicks her hair about as the blonde guy starts whispering in her ear. 

"You'll dance with Cody whilst his friend is busy, won't you?” Jess is already up out of her seat and holding on to one of the guys whilst his friend prows around the smaller girl. She doesn't make any attempt to move though and her voice is steel when she replies.

"No, I won’t."

“Oh come on! Its just a dance; Its not like I’m asking you to sleep with him!”

“I said no Jess.”

"Fine be a boring baby. I'm going to at least try and have a good time. It is Valentines Day after all."

“Wait; how am I supposed to get home?!”

But Jess is already halfway across the dance floor on the arm of the man, his friend trailing behind, laughing all the way out the door. The girl stares after her friend in somewhat disbelief until she slams her purse down on the bar. Richie should probably just leave her alone but he cant help but risk glancing up at her. She’s very pretty, with tiny features and Richie bets that when she smiles that she lights up the whole room. There’s also something else, something just below the surface, an inner strength that gives her a sexy undertone. He should really stop staring now. Maybe he should say something to her; she looks so sad sat all alone. But when has that ever gone right for him in the past? Never as Seth always liked to point out. “You've got no game Richie” is what Seth always said to him. Richie had no idea what that even means. All he knew is that right now all he wants to do is make sure the pretty girl at the bar is OK.

“Did you get ditched too?”

It doesn't come out weird which is good for him and the girl actually looks up at him for a few moments.

“Yeah.”

The girl doesn't say anything else and goes back to picking apart her drinks coaster so Richie, trying not to feel too disappointed, leaves her to it.

“It's just she always does stuff like this.”

The girl is back having moved her chair closer towards Richie. He swallows nervously; she’s even more beautiful close up, her emerald green eyes flashing with anger at her friend. Maybe this is a joke or something. Pretty girls never willing talk to him and if they do its only because they want to use him to get closer to Seth. The girl is still chattering away to him so Richie decides to just go with it.

“- and then she dragged me out here when she knew my dad would get mad at me, he’s a preacher by the way, just so she could hook up with some random guy.”

All this comes out very fast, like she's been bottling it up all night, and Richie tries his best not to drag her friend too much. Privately he thinks she deserves better than someone who would just dump her for a guy.

"She doesn't sound like a very good friend."

"You're right; she's not," The girl say's frustratedly but then her expression softens a little, "I don't know, maybe I'm being too harsh. Maybe I am no fun."

"You seem like a nice person; I think you just see the good in people."

"How would you know? I could be a terrible person. Jess might been right to leave without me."

"I don't think so. I think you're a very sweet person; trust me I can tell these things."

Her face's breaks into a proper smile and she holds out her hand towards him.

"I'm Kate."

Richie takes her small hand; it seems to fit perfectly in his.

"Richard."

Kate smiles back at him and pushes a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"So what happened to you? You said you got ditched as well."

"Yeah, I don't why I even bother coming out," Richie says morosely although he can't feel that annoyed at Seth seeing as being abandoned by him is the only reason he's talking to Kate, "It always ends the same way whenever we go out."

"You're girlfriend wont get mad if she sees you talking to another girl will she?"

"What? Oh no, it was my brother that ditched me. He's very popular with the ladies."

Maybe its just his imagination but Kate seems to perk up a little when Richie tells her he doesn't have a girlfriend. She angles her body closer towards him at any rate.

"Well his loss is my gain."

She's flirting with him. Nobody flirts with him; or when they do he picks up on it too late much to Seth's frustration. He seems to be picking up Kate's signals loud and clear though. It gives him a little confidence boost until he remembers what Kate mentioned about having a boyfriend. 

"I heard you talking to you're friend... about some guy you're upset with?”

Kate rolls her eyes and goes back to tearing up the coaster into little tiny pieces.

“This guy that I was kind of seeing... well he dumped me last week.”

Whilst he's glad that she's single; Richie doesn't like the fact that Kate is clearly upset about being dumped by this guy. Whoever this person was they sound like a complete idiot who clearly didn't realise what a special person Kate was.

“Why?” He asks before he realises that its a bit intrusive, “Sorry you don't have to answer that.”

Kate looks down at her hands and picks at her nails for a bit before she starts talking again. She's obviously a little self conscious by what she's about to tell him.

“Because … Because I wouldn't have sex with him. I’ve never… you know… done that before. Apparently that makes me a frigid bitch.”

“But that's stupid.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well what does sex have to do with anything? If you care about someone you should be willing to wait for them. Especially if they don't have a lot of experience.”

Richie must have said something good because Kate is smiling at him again.

“Thats sweet; most guys don't think like that.”

"Well most people are idiots."

She's giving him a funny look again.

“Sorry… I dint mean. Ugh I’m not very good at this type of stuff. Or talking in general it would seem.”

“No its ok; you’re right, most people are stupid. Or Kyle is at any rate. My brother always told me he wasn't good enough for me. It’s just… it would have been nice to have spent Valentines Day with somebody.”

Richie, who has spent the majority of his Valentine’s Days alone or being abandoned by Seth, lets out a snort of derision. He doesn't get why so many people get so hung up on Valentines Day but its quickly becoming apparent that it meant a lot to Kate because she looks kind of hurt by his remark.

“Sorry I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, its just I don’t see why you need a card and a special day just to tell someone you love them. If I was with someone I’d make sure they knew how I felt about them every day.”

Kate is back to smiling again which makes Richie feel a little better; maybe he's not as bad at this as he thought he was.

 

“It’s not like I even wanted a card or anything,” Kate says as she shifts closer to him. Her foot briefly brushes up against the inside of his leg as she moves, “I just wanted to dance.”

“I’ll dance with you.”

The words are out of his mouth before he can stop himself. 

“Sorry… that's not what… I meant... I mean I did mean it but...,” He trails off awkwardly whilst she smiles at him again.

“Maybe later; its kind of packed out there. Anyway, I like talking to  you.”

“Ohh ok. I like talking to you too. Its just a big con.”

He’s shifted closer to her now, they're hands occasionally brush up against each other and he wants more than anything to reach across and tuck the stray lock of hair behind her ear.

“What is?”

 

“Valentine’s Day. It’s all about money anyway; Hallmark Valentine’s Day sales showed that they make a total of $18.6 billion just on cards alone. Plus everyone thinks America invented Valentine’s Day but in reality they just stole it from Britain.”

“Really? I didn’t know that.”

“Oh yeah; Chaucer and Shakespeare romanticised Valentine’s Day through their work and it proceeded to gain popularity throughout Britain and the rest of Europe. Handmade paper cards became the tokens-de-jour in the Middle Ages.”

“So where did he get the idea from? Shakespeare I mean.”

“Oh that’s where it gets really interesting. Did you know that from February the thirteenth to the fifteenth that the Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia? The men sacrificed a goat and a dog, and then whipped women with the hides of the animals they had just slain. Then young women, probably about your age, would actually line up for the men to hit them cus they believed it would make them fertile. They even had a matchmaking lottery, in which young men drew the names of women from a jar. The couple would then be, um, coupled up for the duration of the festival — or longer, if the match was right.”

In the back of his head Richie knows he’s getting to the point where Seth, or anybody for that matter, would tell him to shut up, but he just can’t help himself; the words just keep pouring out.

“The name “Valentine’s Day” isn't even anything to do with love either. Emperor Claudius II executed two men — ironically both named Valentine — on February the fourteenth in different years in the 3rd century A.D. In the end the Catholic Church honoured their martyrdom was with the celebration of St. Valentine's Day. And statistically, more people are murdered by their spouses on Valentine's Day than any other holiday. There's this Italian guy called Bartolomeo Gagliano who killed a whole bunch of people around Valentines Day a few years ago. He even escaped form an Asylum; there was a massive man hunt for him. That's why there's so many horror movies released in February. Have you seen Be My Valentine or Else? Its great; its got Barbi Benton in it. Classic slasher movie. So really when you think about; Valentine’s Day has a lot less to do with love and more to do with a bunch of people getting murdered.”

There’s an awkward silence.

“Sorry. That sounded a lot less weird in my head.”

She's still looking at him in a bemused sort of way which is probably what anybody would do after being subjected to a speech on Valentines Day about serial killers and murder. 

"Just so we're clear,” Richie says worriedly as Kate is staring at him in silence, “You understand that I'm not a crazy murderer don't you?"

Kate bursts out laughing which Richie hopes is a good sign.

“Yeah; you don't seem like the murdering type,” She says giggling, “I'm impressed! How do you know all that stuff?”

“I just like to learn things.”

He ends up telling her the origins of all the other holidays and to his surprise Kate actually seems interested in what he’s saying, she asks him lots of insightful questions as well. They even get into a religious vs science debate about Christmas. Seth will listen to him up until a point but then he just gets bored and tells Richie to shut up.

"Hey Loverboy; are you two done? It's closing up time."

Its the bartender, who is already packing away the used glasses and cleaning down the bar surfaces. Richie looks around; he hadn't even noticed that the club had emptied out, he'd been so engrossed in talking to Kate. Besides an old drunk passed out in one of the booths they were the only two people in there. Jess had also stuck Kate with her bar tab but Richie insists on paying it for her. He'll make Seth give the money back later. 

"Oh my god; its after one!" Kate says frantically as she looks at her watch, "My dad is going to kill me! Do you think they have a cab service?"

Richie can't believe the time passed so quickly; it seemed like he had barely started talking to Kate. He definitely does not want the night to end so soon. He had the car as Seth was too drunk to drive his twins home, maybe Kate would let him drive her home?

“I can give you a ride if you want? Only if you want to though; no pressure.”

“Yeah thanks, if its not too much trouble.”

She doesn't hesitate which gives Richie another confidence boost. He had worried his Valentines Day serial killer story had scared her off. As they head out into the cool night air Kate’s heel catches in the dirt and Richie makes a grab for her hand just in time.

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah thanks; I should know by now that I cant walk in heels. You’ve got some fast reflexes!”

It takes Richie a minute to realise that he’s still holding her hand. Her bare hand. He can’t even remember the last time he had this type of contact with anyone else besides Seth.

“Richie? Are you ok?”

“I.. Yeah. Yeah I’m fine.”

“Good. You scared me there; you went all pale.”

Kate doesn't let go of his hand and Richie doesn't think he’d be able to let go even if he wanted too so they walk hand in hand back towards Richie’s car. It’s only a forty minute drive from the club to Kate's house, her brother was going to cover for her so she wouldn't get in trouble, and Richie can't help but feel a little dejected as he pulls up outside. They'd spoken about anything and everything during the car ride and found that they shared a lot of things in common; specifically a love for grilled cheese sandwiches. Kate is silent as Richie parks outside her house, none of the lights are on so he presumes her family must all be asleep. He doesn't much fancy being yelled at by an irate father at this time of night. Richie's not sure what to say so he leans over and brushes the stray lock of hair away from Kate’s face. She turns her face towards him; her eyes soft and gentle in the darkness as he caresses her face. The scent of her coconut shampoo mixed with her soft scented perfume hits his nose. He should kiss her he thinks, he just needs to lean in a little closer. Kate’s eyes flick towards his bottom lip for a moment before she meets his gaze again. They stare into each others eyes for what seems like an eternity until Richie bridges the gap between them. Kate’s lips are soft and sweet against his and she tastes like whiskey and cherry lip balm. There’s something else there as well; something warm and safe that flows between them.

“Oh my god,” Kate whispers as she pulls away.

Richie stares back at her big green eyes, maybe that's not what she wanted? Shit. Maybe he read the signals wrong? His panic is cut off by Kate leaning in and kissing him again. The second kiss is deeper and Richie is rewarded with a contented little sigh from Kate as he flicks his tongue across her bottom lip. 

“I have to go inside now," Kate says a little breathlessly as she pulls back and rests her forehead against his, "My dad will be worried.”

Richie just nods as he tilts her head up towards him and kisses her again. 

"I really have to go,” Kate mumbles against his lips but she kisses him again, “Sorry.”

Reluctantly Richie pulls back; he doesn't want her to get into trouble. Kate is already pulling out a pen from her purse and scribbling something down on the back of an old gum packet.

“Call me,” She says as she hands him the piece of paper, “I owe you a dance.”

He waits until she’s all the way inside the house before he drives off; he can still feel the soft press of her lips against his. It takes him another half an hour before he makes it home and the sun is starting to emerge from the darkness. He’s been gone for over five hours and has 25 missed calls, six voice mails and thirteen text messages all from Seth. Once he’s pulled into the drive way he sits in his car for a while, the tiny slip of paper clenched tightly in his hand. Screw it. Richie digs his phone out and punches in the number, Kate picks up on the second ring.

“Hello?”

"Hey Kate; it's Richie from five minutes ago,” He’s still nervous to ask even though he’s just spent the last several minutes kissing her. “Do you wanna come dancing with me tomorrow night?”

“I thought you’d never ask. Pick me up at seven.”

Richie grins stupidly to himself as he walks through his front door to an irate looking Seth; maybe this years Valentine’s day wasn't so bad after all.


End file.
